May concealed carry applications lower

TOPEKA, Kansas — For the first time this year, the monthly total of Kansas concealed carry applications dropped below 3,000, Kansas Attorney General Derek Schmidt said Thursday.

In May, 2,032 Kansans applied for concealed carry permits, down from 3,462 in April. But the May total was still higher than any other month in the program’s history prior to this year. Before January, the one-month record was 1,651 applications received in March 2012.

In the first five months of 2013, Schmidt’s office received 16,302 new concealed carry applications. There are currently 60,037 active concealed carry licensees in Kansas.

Schmidt said his office is continuing to process the applications in a timely manner while ensuring complete and accurate review of each application as required by law.